March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836 Political Party: Democratic-Republican Terms: two terms (1809-1817) Fourth President of the United States Vice Presidents: George Clinton (1805-1812) Elbridge Gerry (1813-1814)
Thesis:
James Madison is yet another very important and crucial President of the early United States. Madison was aware that when entering his term of presidency he would have to deal with previous matters at hand, such as the suffering nation due to the embargo act with Britain and France. He was committed to stopping the continuous British violations of America’s neutral rights at sea. He knew his priorities and always considered the demands and needs of the country during crisis. His leadership was necessary to overcome the “Second War of Independence”. Considering everything, James Madison and his administration deserve an "A" for guiding the country to success over the war, establishing American rights, and gaining much more support of his presidency, with few negative outcomes.
Goals:
Since the development of the Constitution, and Madison’s large contributions to it, his main goal was to have success of American Independence, which carried on throughout his presidency. However when James Madison became President his largest goal for the United States at the time was first and foremost to settle the conflicts with Britain and France, trying to earn neutrality and respect of American ships at sea. His goals were all accomplished but required large measures to do so. Unfortunately, to gain this respect from Britain it led to the War of 1812. This war did not begin so great for the Americans, but they concluded it with a victory, ending economic dependence on Britain. This war also contributed largely to accomplishing Madison’s other goals of American Independence, and provided the citizens with a sense of patriotism or unity. Another big contributor to the war and still a goal of his was westward expansion. This was accomplished after the war and once the many Indian issues were resolved. An additional, seemingly smaller but still very important goal was the need for a national bank, and eventually the second Bank of The United States was established.
James Madison and Congress:
President James Madison and his administration worked fairly well together during his presidency. The majority party of his Congress was Democratic-Republican, as was Madison. His first cabinet consisted of Robert Smith, Albert Gallatin, William Eustis, Paul Hamilton and Caesar Rodney, but they did not remain for too long because of the many conflicts among the members. Madison focused most of his efforts on foreign affairs. One of their first moves during his presidency was to replace the Non-Intercourse Act with Macon’s Bill No. 2 offering Britain or France to agree to respect their neutrality and in doing so they would reinstate Non-Intercourse with the opposed country. This ultimately failed and led to the War of 1812, declared by Congress against Britain because it was necessary at the time. A big controversy within the administration was the question of the national bank which Congress did not pass at first. This led the President to remove the Secretary of State, showing that Madison wanted a unified cabinet loyal to him. Eventually Congress agreed on chartering the Second Bank of the United States, urgently needed to deal with the large amounts of debt. One of the rather important vetoes made by Congress was a bill for federal funds to construct highways and canals. Madison felt that it was for a good cause but that it exceeded their constitutional authority to provide for the general welfare.
Most Positive Outcome:
Throughout most of Madison’s presidency he was tied up in foreign affairs. But when dealing with the domestic issues of the country they found themselves in further debt. The country was experiencing increased inflation and had trouble financing military operations. Their credit status was also at its lowest ever. Despite Madison’s previous opinions on the First Bank of the United States and the decisions during his first term, he and his administration made an important decision to charter the Second Bank of the United States for a 20 year term. Without a bank they had no way to support their war loans, or to obtain government credit. The second bank provided an easier way for the government to handle its affairs. Although this may not stand out like the other events going on within Madison’s presidency it was a very important decision and key to regaining the country’s stability, needed at the time.
Most Negative Outcome:
Most of James Madison’s presidency is surrounded by the ongoing War of 1812, and although many people supported this war, others did not. Many New England Federalists referring to the war as “Mr. Madison’s War” gathered in Hartford Connecticut for a convention in 1814. The idea was to propose a number of constitutional amendments protecting their sectional rights. They even talked about seceding from the Union. Although this convention may not have been a decision called for by the president’s administration, it was the result of Congresses decision to declare war. The negative aspect of this decision is shown here as many New England Federalists rebelled against the government. However, the decision to declare war itself is not negative as it was deemed necessary, just this result was negative. It demonstrated the separation between the United States, and how all citizens were not completely united. Fortunately the war was ended before the leaders of the Hartford Convention were able to succeed in giving their proposals. To other people the participants in this convention looked like traitors, further weakening the Federalist Party.
Influence on Future:
James Madison became President at a very crucial time. All of the issues with France and Britain and the acts passed to try and gain neutral rights and freedom of the seas led to the final decision to declare war on June 18, 1812. During Madison’s presidency he accomplished many things, but most of them centered on the war, thus leaving a large influence on the future. Although the War of 1812 started off bad and may be viewed as negative to some, the outcome of the war was very positive, and resulted with many impacts on the future of the nation. These results included the end of the United State’s dependence on Britain economically, and the end to all foreign threats to the United States lands in the Northwest. It helped to develop the nation’s industry, making it a crucial force in the economy. The American’s morale was boosted because they had survived the second war of independence with the greatest power at the time. And ultimately, it was the first step in evolution into a country that is now greatly industrial.
Conclusion:
By the end of Madison’s presidency America had gained a whole new respect. By being a strong leader and guiding the United States into war he was able to end it with many positive outcomes. Together Madison and his administration chartered the Second Bank of the United States helping to resolve our debt and adding more stability to our hurting economy. The greatest of all of these results was gaining independence and increasing nationalism. James Madison accomplished all of his goals and while doing this he became more popular among the people, earning him an “A” for his successful presidency. Although some troubles followed his terms he definitely benefited the country with his decisions throughout the war, and his other contributions to the country.
"American President: James Madison." MillerCenterof Public Affairs. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2010. <http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/madison>.
Degregorio, William A.. The Complete Book ofU.S.Presidents, Seventh Edition (Complete Book of Us Presidents). 7 ed. Fort Lee: Barricade Books, 2009. Print.
"EDSITEment - Lesson Plan." EDSITEment - The Best of the Humanities on the Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2010. <http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=563>.
Indians, the. "SparkNotes: James Madison: President Madison." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2010. <http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/madison/section8.rhtml>.
Kennedy, David M.. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic: Vol 1, To 1877. 13th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. Print.
Political Party: Democratic-Republican
Terms: two terms (1809-1817) Fourth President of the United States
Vice Presidents: George Clinton (1805-1812) Elbridge Gerry (1813-1814)
Thesis:
James Madison is yet another very important and crucial President of the early United States. Madison was aware that when entering his term of presidency he would have to deal with previous matters at hand, such as the suffering nation due to the embargo act with Britain and France. He was committed to stopping the continuous British violations of America’s neutral rights at sea. He knew his priorities and always considered the demands and needs of the country during crisis. His leadership was necessary to overcome the “Second War of Independence”. Considering everything, James Madison and his administration deserve an "A" for guiding the country to success over the war, establishing American rights, and gaining much more support of his presidency, with few negative outcomes.
Goals:
Since the development of the Constitution, and Madison’s large contributions to it, his main goal was to have success of American Independence, which carried on throughout his presidency. However when James Madison became President his largest goal for the United States at the time was first and foremost to settle the conflicts with Britain and France, trying to earn neutrality and respect of American ships at sea. His goals were all accomplished but required large measures to do so. Unfortunately, to gain this respect from Britain it led to the War of 1812. This war did not begin so great for the Americans, but they concluded it with a victory, ending economic dependence on Britain. This war also contributed largely to accomplishing Madison’s other goals of American Independence, and provided the citizens with a sense of patriotism or unity. Another big contributor to the war and still a goal of his was westward expansion. This was accomplished after the war and once the many Indian issues were resolved. An additional, seemingly smaller but still very important goal was the need for a national bank, and eventually the second Bank of The United States was established.
James Madison and Congress:
President James Madison and his administration worked fairly well together during his presidency. The majority party of his Congress was Democratic-Republican, as was Madison. His first cabinet consisted of Robert Smith, Albert Gallatin, William Eustis, Paul Hamilton and Caesar Rodney, but they did not remain for too long because of the many conflicts among the members. Madison focused most of his efforts on foreign affairs. One of their first moves during his presidency was to replace the Non-Intercourse Act with Macon’s Bill No. 2 offering Britain or France to agree to respect their neutrality and in doing so they would reinstate Non-Intercourse with the opposed country. This ultimately failed and led to the War of 1812, declared by Congress against Britain because it was necessary at the time. A big controversy within the administration was the question of the national bank which Congress did not pass at first. This led the President to remove the Secretary of State, showing that Madison wanted a unified cabinet loyal to him. Eventually Congress agreed on chartering the Second Bank of the United States, urgently needed to deal with the large amounts of debt. One of the rather important vetoes made by Congress was a bill for federal funds to construct highways and canals. Madison felt that it was for a good cause but that it exceeded their constitutional authority to provide for the general welfare.
Most Positive Outcome:
Throughout most of Madison’s presidency he was tied up in foreign affairs. But when dealing with the domestic issues of the country they found themselves in further debt. The country was experiencing increased inflation and had trouble financing military operations. Their credit status was also at its lowest ever. Despite Madison’s previous opinions on the First Bank of the United States and the decisions during his first term, he and his administration made an important decision to charter the Second Bank of the United States for a 20 year term. Without a bank they had no way to support their war loans, or to obtain government credit. The second bank provided an easier way for the government to handle its affairs. Although this may not stand out like the other events going on within Madison’s presidency it was a very important decision and key to regaining the country’s stability, needed at the time.
Most Negative Outcome:
Most of James Madison’s presidency is surrounded by the ongoing War of 1812, and although many people supported this war, others did not. Many New England Federalists referring to the war as “Mr. Madison’s War” gathered in Hartford Connecticut for a convention in 1814. The idea was to propose a number of constitutional amendments protecting their sectional rights. They even talked about seceding from the Union. Although this convention may not have been a decision called for by the president’s administration, it was the result of Congresses decision to declare war. The negative aspect of this decision is shown here as many New England Federalists rebelled against the government. However, the decision to declare war itself is not negative as it was deemed necessary, just this result was negative. It demonstrated the separation between the United States, and how all citizens were not completely united. Fortunately the war was ended before the leaders of the Hartford Convention were able to succeed in giving their proposals. To other people the participants in this convention looked like traitors, further weakening the Federalist Party.
Influence on Future:
James Madison became President at a very crucial time. All of the issues with France and Britain and the acts passed to try and gain neutral rights and freedom of the seas led to the final decision to declare war on June 18, 1812. During Madison’s presidency he accomplished many things, but most of them centered on the war, thus leaving a large influence on the future. Although the War of 1812 started off bad and may be viewed as negative to some, the outcome of the war was very positive, and resulted with many impacts on the future of the nation. These results included the end of the United State’s dependence on Britain economically, and the end to all foreign threats to the United States lands in the Northwest. It helped to develop the nation’s industry, making it a crucial force in the economy. The American’s morale was boosted because they had survived the second war of independence with the greatest power at the time. And ultimately, it was the first step in evolution into a country that is now greatly industrial.
Conclusion:
By the end of Madison’s presidency America had gained a whole new respect. By being a strong leader and guiding the United States into war he was able to end it with many positive outcomes. Together Madison and his administration chartered the Second Bank of the United States helping to resolve our debt and adding more stability to our hurting economy. The greatest of all of these results was gaining independence and increasing nationalism. James Madison accomplished all of his goals and while doing this he became more popular among the people, earning him an “A” for his successful presidency. Although some troubles followed his terms he definitely benefited the country with his decisions throughout the war, and his other contributions to the country.
"American President: James Madison." Miller Center of Public Affairs. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2010. <http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/madison>.
Degregorio, William A.. The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents, Seventh Edition (Complete Book of Us Presidents). 7 ed. Fort Lee: Barricade Books, 2009. Print.
"EDSITEment - Lesson Plan." EDSITEment - The Best of the Humanities on the Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2010. <http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=563>.
Indians, the. "SparkNotes: James Madison: President Madison." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2010. <http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/madison/section8.rhtml>.
Kennedy, David M.. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic: Vol 1, To 1877. 13th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. Print.